How many do you think I can fit?

[Elbs]

They won't be scared, just depends on personality if they'll play lots. We insulated ours, but ventilation is key for sure. Closed up and insulated means lots of condensation and you're right. Bad for birds. Mostly causes frost bite. I have a heater for my waterer. Also generates a bit of heat. I'm adding Silkies and Polish to my flock this year, and I've been reading they need to stay dry in the winter because of their unique feather situations.

Don't "expect to lose" any birds.

Personally I'd want 30 in that space but I know, it's a fine balance.

I have a lot of heritage breeds, and while they're bigger they're very docile so they're not as cranky about space.

Look at your combs and wattles also. Are they big? Those frost bite easier.

My first winter, my banty roo got bad frost bite and lost a couple nails. I had a heat lamp and I didn't understand why. But it's because of the high humidity we had. Poor guy.

 

[aminarchick]

Yes I think Im stuckING to 18 hens maybe 2 roos. And some of my red
sex links have huge flappy combs I'll put some petroleum jelly on them to help. And explain to me what I should do if I don't have a water heater?

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

Hope all goes well with your design and I will maybe keep 2 roosters, my silky roo and my easter roo. I think the worst we had here was -10 °. My coop isnt insulated. I was reading and it said that if you insulate your coop you build moisture and that's deadly to the chickens. I heard the more circulation you have in your coop in the winter the less moisture you have .don't know if it's true .but should I expect one to die in the winter ? Or do they make it just fine. Also how do you keep the water from freezing?

humidity inside a coop is definitely not good, you want lots of air flow through the coop. One of the best designs ever created is the open front coop, if you do a search for open front coop you will find lots of information about it. The average body temperature of a chicken is 41-45 degrees C, compared to a human's average body temperature of 37 degrees C. This means you don't really need to worry so much about heat in a coop as you do lowering the humidity. Humidity is what causes frost bite not the actual cold temperatures.

To keep water from freezing you can get a small water heater http://citygirlfarmingblog.com/2013...ater-less-than-four-minutes-and-four-dollars/ is a great DIY.

 

[aminarchick]

Great information thank you I will be making 2 of those water heaters it's so simple.